Heart Broken (Game of Hearts Series Book 1) Read online

  “Oh, wouldn’t that be nice.”

  Yeah, right. Like I would actually find someone that would enjoy staying in to watch a movie over going out drinking with friends. Not that I wouldn’t mind the occasional bar here and there, but my world didn’t revolve around drinking, and I didn’t find it funny to watch drunks make fools of themselves. I’d always much rather stay in and avoid the stupidity. It didn’t leave much in the way of the dating crowd, but still, at least I had less of a chance of getting expelled that way.

  “This should be interesting. Looking for a date for you will most definitely be fun—for me, at least. You, on the other hand…”

  I grabbed another pillow and tossed it at her. This time she caught it, and we decided the masks had set long enough. This was good, since my face was literally cracking from the strain of its dryness. Our evening a complete success at around one in the morning, I made my way home across the hall for some much-needed sleep.

  ***

  Having forgotten all about the Internet connection experiment we had set up, I spent the week going from exam to exam in what seemed like an endless stream of torture. It seemed like my brain was going to split in two from all the cramming, but I needed to get a routine going, as this is just the beginning of what I was now calling “the end.” After this, I was never doing school again. Ever. I just had to get through these four years, and then I would go off to work to do something I loved. That was the plan, anyway. I just needed to keep my focus working my way through.

  Though our normal habit of getting together on Fridays was now tradition, this week broke our routine as Bethany had what she deemed to be the “date of all dates” with the man of her dreams. She was really hoping it was going to be the beginning of a great romance, and long relationship. I was reluctant to believe this was the case, but I found myself helping her primp, just the same.

  The knock on the door startled us both as we jumped, nearly ruining her eyeliner in the process. We had both been thinking that we had plenty of time before he arrived, but when we looked at the clock, we found that we were sorely mistaken.

  “Clara, please stall. I’m almost done,” Bethany said as she continued to apply the last of her makeup.

  I answered the door for her, and the man on the other end was everything she had said and so much more. He was suave and cavalier with polite manners as he introduced himself to me as Brian Richards.

  I offered him something to drink as an attempt at stalling, but he was not easily sidelined.

  “She’s still not ready yet, huh?” Brian said, chuckling with a slight smile.

  “How’d you guess?”

  “Wasn’t that hard. How much longer does she need?”

  “Not sure. Last I saw, she was dumping her makeup drawer, so it could be a while.”

  Head thrown back in a full laugh, Brian made his way toward her room.

  “What are you doing? I wouldn’t go in there if I were you.”

  But he didn’t listen.

  “Clara, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ve got this. You can go if you’d like. I just want a few minutes alone with my girl.”

  “Um, I’m not sure I can ‘just go.’ I don’t even know you.”

  Stopping just short of the door, he turned toward me.

  “You’re protective. I like that my baby has that in a friend. And you’re right, you don’t know me yet, so let me sit with you a moment, and we can talk before I drag my baby out of the room.”

  Smiling, I decided I liked him for her, and we went back to the living room. Taking residence on the couch, once again I found myself staring at him as he pulled me into conversation.

  “Clara, Bethany and I have been dating for months now, actually. She told me all about your Friday nights and all the bonding you two have done. I’m so glad she has you as a best friend, but I’m finding it harder and harder to be without my girl. I love her, and I don’t want to spend too much time without her around. Tonight she’s meeting my parents, as I’ve already met hers.”

  I was shocked at this. Bethany hadn’t told me any of this during our so-called “girl time.” Why would she have kept this from me?

  “I’m sorry, Clara.”

  I watched as Bethany entered the room.

  “Why didn’t you say something?”

  I was still in disbelief that my best friend had kept this from me for months. I stood to walk toward her.

  “You could have told me, you know.”

  “I know, I just…”

  She didn’t finish her sentence. She just looked ashamed.

  I got it now. She didn’t need to explain it to me. She had wanted to make sure they would last before she let go of me. He was now her everything.

  “I get it, and it’s okay. You two go have a great night, and good luck.”

  “I’ll catch you tomorrow?”

  She was watching me closely as I left the apartment, concern etched across her face.

  “Not even a question, sweets. I have to know all the details.”

  Grabbing her in a strong embrace, I whispered in her ear how beautiful she looked and that she should knock them dead.

  She simply smiled in return.

  “You’re next, you know.”

  Chapter Two

  I found myself at a loss for words as I looked in my inbox for my school account, having completely forgotten all about joining that stupid hookup network. That’s what I was calling it, and I was sticking to it, too. I’d received well over fifty messages since last week, when I first enrolled in the program.

  What an idiot. I don’t have time for this sh… stuff. I need to study, not go through all these messages.

  Luckily, most of the messages were easy to get through, and I took a much-needed break and grabbed a coffee at the local coffee shop.

  Making my way toward the seat I’d taken residence of over the last few weeks, I literally ran into a strong chest and ended up spilling my coffee right down the front of his shirt.

  Great.

  “Oh, my gosh, I’m so sorry!”

  His hands had come out to stop me just before I bumped into him.

  “It’s okay, it’s just coffee. Hot coffee.”

  Ouch. I saw him flinch as he tried to pull the shirt away from his skin.

  “Yeah, very hot coffee. I’m so sorry. Let me help you.”

  Grabbing napkins, I began dabbing them over his chest—which probably did more harm than good—until I realized I was actually enjoying the small contact with him. This poor guy had just got burned from my coffee, and now I was molesting him in the coffee shop!

  Way to go, Clara.

  He snickered as he tried desperately to pull his shirt away, but then he quickly grabbed my wrist to stop my—help, let’s just call it.

  “It’s okay, but please stop. I need to get a new shirt. This one is now ruined.”

  “Oh, please give it to me. I’ll take care of it. It’s the least I can do.”

  Yes, take it off and hand it to me, I thought to myself as I realized how insane I’d become.

  What the heck was I thinking? The man needed a new shirt, not a weirdo drooling all over his chest.

  “That would be great, and normally I would just toss the shirt and get a new one, but this is actually my favorite shirt.”

  He watched as my cheeks began to burn.

  “I’m Roger, by the way.”

  “Clara.”

  “How about we get out of here, and I’ll take you up to my place so I can change shirts?”

  Holy crap! I couldn’t just go off with some strange guy I didn’t know.

  “Um, that’s not really a good idea. I don’t know you at all. How about you just meet me here tomorrow instead, and I’ll take care of the shirt for you?”

  I was rambling on like an idiot as he continued to pull the shirt away from his skin.

  “What about staining? I heard if you let it set in, it’s impossible to get out.”

  �
�Well, that’s true. I didn’t think of that.”

  “How about you wait here, and I’ll be back in a few after I change my shirt?”

  “That works for me. I have a mountain of emails to get through, so I’ll look at them as I wait for you.”

  “I’ll even sweeten the deal by getting you more coffee while you wait for me.”

  “You sure that’s a good idea, considering my clumsiness and all?”

  “Well, at least I’ll be at a safe distance.”

  We laughed together as he took my order to the barista. I watched as he left, mouthing “right back, don’t move” to me. I couldn’t help but be excited that he would come back and after I finished getting the coffee out of his shirt. But then what?

  This isn’t a date, dork. This is you being clumsy, and this poor guy does not want his favorite shirt ruined. Nothing more.

  It was impossible to think it could be more than that, but hope lingered in the background all the same as I went through my emails.

  An hour later, finished with the correspondences that interested me, I was still waiting for Roger to make his way back. Hope was fading with every minute that passed. I would never have done this to someone I was interested in—leave them waiting for what seemed like an eternity. Around the fourth cup, I was just about ready to leave when Roger finally made his way back into the coffee shop.

  “I was just getting ready to leave,” I said, throwing my pack onto my shoulder.

  “Sorry that took so long. Here’s the shirt, and my cell number. Let me know when it’s done.”

  He took my hand and gently placed the stained shirt in it.

  “You’re so sure that I’ll have it all clean for you?”

  “I’m hopeful. Don’t worry, though. I’m not expecting a miracle. If you could somewhat salvage it, I’d be ever so appreciative.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  “How about we get together here, tomorrow?”

  Shocked by his desire to meet again, I stumbled back into the table, making the items rattle. Thankfully they didn’t fall over.

  “Whoa, there. I like this shirt, too.”

  Laughing at his response, I held my hand up to my mouth to contain the noise of my laughter as I grabbed my stuff and put it into my bag.

  “Do you really need to go, or can you stay for another cup?”

  Seriously? He had kept me there waiting for him for an hour, and now he thought I could use more coffee?

  “I really don’t need to be anywhere any time soon, but if I have another cup of coffee, I may never sleep again.”

  “Then how about a treat instead?” he says, chuckling. “Maybe a brownie, or something as sweet as you are, since you waited for me this whole time?”

  Aw, now that was cute, and he really did seem like a nice guy. Why not give him a chance and see what happened?

  “Okay, I’ll take a Rice Krispies treat, please.”

  “You sure? That doesn’t seem nearly sweet enough.”

  “I’m sure.”

  I watched as he made his way over to the counter to retrieve the treat. He seemed unable to look at anyone other than me on his way back. It made me feel as though he wanted more to do with me than just have his shirt cleaned.

  Maybe spilling coffee on him was the best thing to ever happen to me.

  As he approached, he was definitely appreciated by all the females in the vicinity, and I realize how gorgeous he was with his flexed muscles accentuated by the tight shirt he wore. Remembering how my hands had caressed those very muscles just a few hours ago made me grow hot inside, and let a slight whimper escape.

  “You okay?”

  “Huh? Oh, yes. Sorry, just stubbed my toe on the table leg.”

  Good lie, Clara. Now don’t forget to sell it!

  Clutching my foot, I was surprised when out of nowhere he grabbed it, placing his own hands on it, rubbing at the supposed sore spot.

  “Better?”

  I just nodded as he kept on rubbing the pretend soreness away.

  “Yes, thank you.”

  “My pleasure.”

  I watched as he placed my foot back on the floor while he kept his eyes fixated on me.

  “So, tell me about yourself.”

  “Why?”

  “Why? What do you mean, ‘why’?”

  He choked out the words as he chuckled at my response.

  “I mean, why do you want to know about me?”

  “Why wouldn’t I want to know about you?”

  “I don’t know. I mean, I’m just a freshman, and you’re… Well, you’re you. You’re obviously not a freshman.”

  He just smiled as he shook his head.

  Roger couldn’t fathom why this beautiful creature didn’t think she was anyone other than someone he should get to know.

  “Okay, baby, let’s start over. Hi, my name is Roger, and I’d like to get to know you better. I think we could become good friends—if not more. I would really like to see if we can become something special. So, how about you start by telling me something about yourself?”

  Shocked to my core, I just sat there, unable to move as I processed his words. Shaking myself with the realization that this fabulous, gorgeous man wanted to get to know me, I sat back, just gapping at him.

  Snap out of it and talk, dummy!

  Roger found the whole encounter to be utterly amusing, and her inability to respond because she was so enamored with him left him feeling like a god. It was a high no drug could bring him—no matter the price.

  “Nice to meet you, Roger. I’m Clara. Clara Stephans. Business major, freshman, and so not sure about the rest.”

  “Nice to meet you, Clara. Clara Stephans.”

  Chuckling at his formality, I accidently blurted out the words, “You’re cute.”

  He just laughed at my awkwardness.

  “I mean cute with your response. I mean cute in your remarks. I mean… Ugh, I don’t know what I mean anymore!”

  I lowered my head as far as I could into my chest as Roger just stared into my eyes.

  “It’s okay, I think you’re cute, too,” he said after several moments of silence.

  “Really?”

  My brows furrowed with the embarrassment I felt at his words.

  “Yes, really.”

  Then he scooted forward, grabbing my hands to remove them from my face.

  I looked at him with a mixture of wonder and awe.

  “So, why were you here at the coffee shop today? Are you studying for an exam?”

  “No, I was actually answering my emails. I finished my exams last week. This week I get a break for a little while before we start up again.”

  “Wow, how many emails did you have?”

  “Well, I made the mistake of joining the school’s social network to get to know people.”

  I couldn’t seem to tell him that my joining was more about finding someone to date than finding a friend.

  “Ah, looking for a date, huh?”

  He sounded so disappointed, and for a moment, I thought it was a mistake to tell him anything more about my life.

  “No. Yes. No. Gosh, who knows? My friend did it for me. She kinda forced me to sign up. It wasn’t my intention, mind you. She said I just needed to ‘get out more’.”

  I finger-quoted Bethany’s remark about my lack of social life. Could this be any more humiliating? I was about ready to run for the door when he pinned me with his gaze, holding me in my place before I could make a clean getaway.

  “Not happy with the program?”

  Curiosity was obviously getting the better of him, and of course he had to ask. Why couldn’t he just let me keep an ounce of pride?

  “Nothing like that. The program is really great. I mean, it’s great if that’s what you’re looking for. You know, someone to find. I mean, someone to date. I just don’t know if I want to find someone to spend time with right now.”

  Somehow, I just couldn’t stop the words from coming out once they started. I stammer
ed on and on, as though I had lost my mind completely.

  “You know, with school break and all, I should be taking some time for myself to relax and get some extra work in before the next session begins.”

  Before I could excuse myself from this nightmare conversation, he seemed to make a decision, taking my options away from me.

  “What?! Why not? You’re fun, and funny, and extremely entertaining—at least to me. I’m sure someone would love to spend time with you. And I’m glad you like the program.”

  I focused on one word he’d said over everything else—someone. Not him, mind you, but someone else. Okay, that was my cue to leave, but I needed to know something first.

  “Why are you glad I like the program?”

  “Well, I kinda wrote it, and I actually head the program, so I’m always happy to hear positive feedback.”

  My jaw hit the floor. As if this entire conversation hadn’t been bad enough!

  “You wrote it? You’re…”

  I tried to find the words to make me appear smarter than I had been over the past several minutes. “You’re…”

  But it just wasn’t happening. I mean, I couldn’t possibly have been talking with the smartest man on campus, could I? No. God wouldn’t do this to me! Oh, God, please tell me I hadn’t made a complete fool of myself in front of him.

  “Yes, I am. I’m that Roger.”

  He sat straighter in his chair, clearly pleased that I was so overwhelmed. He actually smirked, watching me squirm in my seat.

  “Oh, my gosh. Good job.”

  Crap, I had just said “good job” to someone who clearly knew that he had done a good job.

  Great job, dumbass.

  He threw his head back and laughed so hard her nearly fell out of his chair.

  I found myself no longer starstruck, but instead, getting annoyed at the pleasure he was taking in my inability to articulate a coherent thought.

  “Okay, okay. You’re a rock star on campus, and I’m done fawning all over you now. So, now I’m gonna go find a dark place to bury myself in before this gets any worse.”

  “Oh, really? So soon?”

  He placed his hand against his chest, dramatically mocking me.

  “I’m hurt.”